It is with immense sadness that we write to inform you of the death of Hope, an Ol Pejeta orphan who was being hand reared on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. He fell ill on the 28th September, and despite the best efforts of the vet and his keepers, Hope died during the night of the 29th September as a result of ulcers in the stomach and inflamed intestine. He was in his ‘boma’ surrounded by his keepers and his adopted siblings.
His keepers, the rangers on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and all of us here on Ol Pejeta are hugely saddened by his passing, he was a rhino that was loved by many.
Hope’s mother Upendo was killed by poachers back in March 2013, and both her horns were taken. Hope was found by Ol Pejeta rangers laying next to his lifeless mother’s body – physically unharmed, but traumatised. He was moved to the nearby Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to join two other orphaned black rhinos who were being hand reared, with the aim that he would one day be released back into Ol Pejeta.
Lewa’s keepers are some of the most experienced orphaned rhino handlers in the world and have successfully raised many calves. Sadly, as is the case with hand-rearing wild animal orphans, complications can and do arise. Every rhino case is unique and what we learn from these cases can be used to help other captive and hand reared rhinos.
In his short life, Hope helped raise awareness about the plight of his species, and was followed and admired all over the world.